Join us on Team Gummybear!

Some Facts about

Prematurity:

• More than 70 percent of premature babies are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation. These are called late-preterm births.


• About 12 percent of premature babies are born between 32 and 33 weeks gestation, about 10 percent between 28 and 31 weeks, and about 6 percent at less than 28 weeks gestation.


• Most premature births are caused by spontaneous preterm labor, either by itself or following spontaneous premature rupture of the membranes (PROM)


• About 25 percent of premature births are caused by early induction of labor or c-section due to pregnancy complications or health problems in the mother or the fetus. In many of these cases, early delivery is probably the safest approach for mother and baby.


• Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS): About 23,000 babies a year (most of whom were born before the 34th week of pregnancy) suffer from this breathing problem (11). Babies with RDS lack a protein called surfactant that keeps small air sacs in the lungs from collapsing.


• Today over 1500 babies will be born prematurely.

We will be walking with Abby in the annual March of Dimes Walk for Preemies on Saturday, April 24th and would love for you to join us! We hope to do our part in spreading awareness about prematurity and raising funds to help all babies not only survive, but thrive.

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday April 24th, 2010

Time: Registration at 8am - Walk begins at 9:30am

Distance: 3 miles (but feel free to walk only what you are able)

Location: Carl Miller Park 74 Sewell RdNewnan, GA 30263 (near Newnan High School)

Following the walk, we are hosting a cookout lunch at Dave and Mary Ann Sandlin's home in Newnan. Feel free to join us for hotdogs and hamburgers around 12noon Saturday, April 24th. Even if you cannot join us in the walk, but would like to meet the Gummybear - we would love to see you! If you need directions, please email me at sandlin.jennifer@gmail.com

You can join Team Gummybear and donate to March of Dimes (even if you will not be able to join us for the walk) at http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=3198597&ct=4&w=4026858&u=Sandlin

We have a goal of $200 but view this walk more as a chance to celebrate Abigail's journey and raise awareness about these babies that are all too often born too small and too early. Even if you are unable to donate, we would love to see you at the walk or the cook out!

Eureka!

Abby has found her feet...and apparently she thinks they're just fantastic!

Feel Good Project Update

4 weeks into the Feel-Good-Naked-Project and I'm noticing a difference. My official weigh-in was this week, and I have lost 7.5 lbs so far- thus reaching my first goal of being back to where I was right after Abby was born! (Ugh...back to the beginning...)



I've been counting calories and walking/jogging 3 miles every other day. Most days I stay within my 1300-1500 calorie limit, but I did go over by a little on my birthday weekend. Still, I'm just chugging along and actually starting to look forward to sundress season. Now if only the weather would cooperate!

I'm a little annoyed that I "only" lost 7.5 lbs, but I'm trying to remind myself that this is more about feeling good and getting healthy than reaching an ideal number. It also is nice to know that I weigh 30 lbs less than I did at the height of pregnancy.



Last week I've decided to add something new: I'm using the Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred dvd to amp up my workouts. And oh-my-goodness, that woman is relentless! The dvd is divided into 3 levels (I plan on sticking to level 1 for a while...) and designed for the intermediate/advanced. I am neither, and thus it is kicking my butt! The entire 27 minute workout does not allow a second of rest, so I'm pretty near gasping and sweating a river by the time it's over. I like it because she never does more than 1 minute of any given move, so it keeps changing up. Also, I noticed a definite difference in my endurance starting with the 2nd workout! My thighs are so much more toned and my baby pooch is really melting off. I finally don't look like I'm still 5 months pregnant!

Abby likes to lie on the floor and watch me workout. Except lately she's started shrieking with laughter while I'm going at it. Kinda hurts the self-esteem when Miss Chubby-Thighs herself is giggling at me!

I never thought I'd be the kind of girl to invest time in a workout video, but it really has made it easier to get the strength training in without having to go to a gym and leave the baby. And with just 30 minutes a day, I'm thinking I may have to keep it up much longer than the 30 days!

Goal 1: Reach post-baby weight ---MET!
Goal 2: Reach pre-baby weight (-10lbs from Goal 1)-- IN PROGRESS

A Typical Night in the Sandlin House...

This is the sight that awaits me upon returning from jogging each night...

Attention Ladies and Gentlemen...

We have a sitter!!

My Little Sweet Potato

Today Abigail had her first vegetable - sweet potatoes! I'll let the pictures tell the story!

Not me!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not let our house go this week while Abby and I were running from appointment to appointment. Why, I am the epitome of housewifery and would never let 2000 loads of laundry and dishes pile up! Not me!

This week I certainly did not invite my parents over to play with Abigail just so I could catch up on some much-needed housecleaning. I would never exploit grandparents in such a way! Not me! (By the way, the floors are now vacuumed, the cat box clean, and our kitchen spotless - and I am a sane woman once again!)

I did not kick my husband "accidentally" several times throughout the night to get him to stop moaning in his sleep. The poor guy is sick with the sinus gunk! I would never intentionally try to wake him up at 2am just so I could fall asleep! (And he didn't wake up...or stop moaning. Must kick harder tonight...)

Who would watch 4 episodes of Stargate back-to-back on a Friday afternoon instead of doing something productive? Certainly not me! (But in my defense, Abby was a hot mess of after-shot crankiness and wouldn't sleep anywhere but on me for 4 hours. What else was I going to do?)

Whew! I feel a lot better. Anything you've not been up to this week?